Peter Corris

In 1942 Peter Corris was born in Stawell Victoria. 122ks away, I arrived in a similar part of the world sometime later. In 1980 I was newly arrived in Melbourne, and by absolute happenstance, a crime fiction fan, living around the corner from Murder Inc in Auburn Road, Hawthorn. My delight at that stage was the discovery of a ready source of John Wainwright's books. And then Malcolm, the lovely and profoundly knowledgeable gentleman who ran Murder Inc, asked me if I'd like to try something local for a change. The Dying Trade was my first Cliff Hardy novel.

In the days after the Awards Ceremony it's wonderful to watch the congratulations for much deserved winners rolling in.

Bittersweet experience reading this - the last Cliff Hardy novel.

From the Blurb:

A missing teenager, drugs, yachts, the sex trade and a cold trail that leads from Sydney to Norfolk Island, Byron Bay and Coolangatta. Can Cliff Hardy find out what's really going on?

Will one man's loss be Hardy's gain?

'I'd read about it in the papers, heard the radio reports and seen the TV coverage and then forgotten about it, the way you do with news stories.'

Technically I'm not here - we're taking a few weeks off from computers to try to recharge battered batteries. It's been so bloody hot here we've nearly melted and nope it hasn't rained. Not a bloody drop.

Which has meant some reading time in amongst the hourly trips outside to make sure the poultry at least are surviving this appalling weather.

American Blood, Ben Sanders

How utterly astounding to realise that this is the 40th Cliff Hardy novel from Peter Corris. (Out in stores 25th February). How gratifying to see the series holding up so strongly. This was a one sitting read on the weekend - but more in a review to come.

From the Blurb:

Cricket... Cliff Hardy... Cricket... Cliff Hardy. Some years things don't pan out quite like you want. Around here, every Boxing Day will find me somewhere very close to the couch, new Cliff Hardy and Christmas Chocolates in hand, pretending to watch the cricket whilst quietly reading. Only this year we were winning, and it's been a while and it was against England, and well I didn't get quite as much reading done as I would normally. So I'm catching up now.

From the Blurb: